This story does not fit into any episodes of the Anime series or any parts
in the Manga, unlike my first one. This one is a story in itself.
Again, Uranus and Neptune are only friends,
not gay. It just makes my writing easier. And I use the Manga
characteristic of Zoisite, not the Anime, so he is not gay, either.
This story is rated PG for language and stuff (Nothing serious, so don't
worry. The worse thing possible would be the word "damn" (^_^))
Oh yeah, PLEASE email me and tell me what you think of my story.
Critiques, compliments, suggestions, questions, anything would be fine.
Just FEED MY EMAIL INBOX! I think it will die of starvation soon!
Usual disclaimers: Sailor Moon and all its characters and likeliness
belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha/Toei. English translation is made
possible by DiC.
My email address: ml_eclipse@hotmail.com
<< >> = thoughts
[ ] = author's note
*** I'm terribly sorry for making this chapter so long.
Well, enough of my babbling! I hope you'll like this fanfic! Enjoy!
============================
=================>>> Bloom of the Crystal Rose <<<==================
by Cosmos
============================
The Fifth Petal: Awaken! Messiah of Light
"So is that why I'm here?" Serena asked them.
"Well?," Mars said hesitantly, "that is what I guess is the purpose of
the crystal for bringing you here. Maybe, I'm right because Darien said
that you are a really skilled soldier."
"Well, I'm not really a soldier," Serena said with a blush,
"but somehow I do know how to fight."
"Well that's great," Venus said excitedly, "we need all the help we can
get."
"Please tell me more about this war that is devastating your world."
"All right," Pyrite said. Serena turned to look at the youngest General
with short pale, almost white, yellow hair sitting beside Saturn.
His fiery dark brown eyes looked at her as began his tale.
"The war began about twenty-five years ago when the Dark Empress attacked
the Moon and Earth. No one knew where she came from, but some guessed that
she might have come from another world on the other side of a black hole
located within our galaxy. Perhaps the solar eclipse that occurred a few
days before her attacks accidentally opened a portal of some kind
connecting her world to ours. We later tried to locate this portal but it
must have disappeared right after she passed through. She knew that in
order to conquer this galaxy she must defeat the two great powers that were
protecting it, the Moon and Earth Kingdom. Her strong and skilled army
attacked both Kingdoms simultaneously. The terrible battle on the Moon
dragged on for over ten years. We tried to help them, but we were fighting
here also. We never knew that she has such a large army, almost like she
brought her entire world to fight us. I believe that she must have known
before hand that the solar eclipse will open a portal to our world because
she and her army came very well prepared. Anyway, just simply defending the
Earth Palace proved to be a great strain on our resources. There was no
way we could have provided any type of aid to the Moon. We were all
terribly distressed when news came that the Moon Kingdom was defeated by a
strong curse that froze everyone inside thick quartz. The only ones that
survived are the ones you see before you now."
"We did not want to leave," Mars said dejectedly, "but the Queen commanded
us to. We could not disobey her."
"Especially when she told us that the end of this war depended on our
survival," Luna said. Serena looked down at the sleek black cat with a
strange crescent moon on its forehead. She was introduced to Luna and
her partner Artemis toward the end of dinner. At first she was extremely
shocked that they could speak, but she has gotten used to the idea by now.
"Do you know what she meant by that?"
"We have not the faintest idea," Saturn said sadly. "I think it would have
been wiser if we stayed and fight, not run and hide like cowards!" Pyrite
placed a comforting arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him.
She leaned her head on his chest as a single tear slipped from her
mysterious dark purple eyes.
"So you have no idea how you will defeat this?this Dark Empress?"
"No," Neptune replied softly, "although there was a legend that foretold of
a savior who will appear one day and end this war. It was told that she
will appear only when the crystal rose blooms. She has incredible powers,
which she will use to destroy the Dark Empress and her army. Her powers
will then lift the curse from the Moon and restore our world as it was
before, peaceful and loving."
"But that is only a fairytale," Jupiter said sadly, "those types of tales
were told by mothers to their children before bedtime."
"Besides, we know that there is no such thing as a crystal rose," Mercury
said. "And if there was one, how could a crystal bloom?"
"What is this savior's name?" Serena asked curiously.
"No one truly knows her name," Nephrite spoke up beside Jupiter.
"In the legend she is known as the Messiah of Light. Nonetheless, like what
Jupiter said, she is but a legend."
"But how can *I* help then?" Serena asked, "Since all of you with all your
great powers cannot defeat the Dark Empress, how can I be of any influence?
I don't even have any special powers like you all."
"We don't really know why the crystal chose you?" Mars said. Serena looked
at her sadly, who noticed her expression and quickly said, "I'm sorry.
I didn't mean it that way."
Serena smiled, "No, I understand. You all are desperate to see this war
end, don't you? But then who wouldn't? No one likes to see wars."
"I still hope that one day it will end," a sad voice said from the dining
room doorway. Everyone turned to see the tear stained face of Sailor Pluto
with Marcasite standing solemnly beside her. Darien observed their faces
closely. He could tell that something was troubling them greatly.
His gaze questioned them, but they refused to look at him.
"Pluto! Marc! What happened? What's wrong?" Zoisite asked with great
concern. They did not reply. Instead, Pluto walked quietly toward
Darien and said, "We must speak to you, Endymion?alone."
Darien's eyes widened in surprise and concern at the tone of her sad
voice. He nodded solemnly and excused himself as he stood up to
follow these two into the hall. Once in the hall he turned to them and
was about to speak when Marcasite interrupted him.
"No, not here," he said, "Can we go to your private library?"
"Of course."
After a few moments of walking down several hallways, they entered an
enormous room filled to the brink with books of all kinds, both ancient
and new. A large mahogany table stood before them with four black
leather seats around it. Darien gestured for them to sit, but Pluto
shook her head. "I would much rather stand."
Marcasite took a seat near her. "But I would recommend you, Darien, to
have a seat," he said solemnly, his voice heavy with sorrow.
Darien looked at them for a moment and slowly took his seat across from
Marcasite. "What is it? I have never seen you both looked so distraught
like this before. What is troubling you two so much?" he asked.
Pluto took a deep breath and began to unravel the terrible news.
Marcasite studied Darien's face while Pluto talked. He saw his intense
blue eyes first lightened to a bright blue in surprise, but gradually
darkened in anger and grief as the words began to sink in. Finally Pluto
stopped. Silence enveloped them all. Darien didn't move. His eyes
staring blankly at Pluto's face. Suddenly he jumped up from his chair,
knocking it over and slammed his fist with incredible force at the pile
of books on a nearby shelf. The terrible force sent books flying
haphazardly around them. He stood there for a moment as tears began to
invade his eyes, his fist clenched white on the shelf. Pluto unconsciously
moved closer to Marcasite as Darien's action gripped her with fear and
grief. They both watched in silence as he began to cry.
"How could this be?" he whispered to them as tears drift silently down
his face. "How could this be?"
"I-I-I'm so sorry Darien," Pluto sobbed. "I would do anything to change
these *damn* laws if there is a way. But I can't. I am powerless to?to do
anything."
"So what am I suppose to do?" Darien whispered back coldly. "Tell me what
am I suppose to do now?" He turned around angrily as he shouted, "Am I
to just walk up to her and say 'Serena you can't stay here'? That some
stupid Law prohibits you from staying in this world?! I told her that
she could stay with me. I *want* her to stay with me! I said that
we?*I* would never turn away from her! That *I* would never send her
back to a world that does not love her!"
Darien stopped as more tears escaped his beautiful eyes. "I can't do
that to her, Pluto," he whispered in a voice revealing a torn soul
beneath. "I can't break her heart! I love her *too* much! God! When I
have finally found the woman I love, I can't be with her!" he cried in
a heart breaking voice. "I don't want her to leave me! I don't want to
lose her, Pluto! I don't want to lose her." Darien fell to his knees,
grabbing his head violently as another wave of tears assaulted his eyes.
Pluto and Marcasite watched with souls equally as torn as his was.
Every tear he shed broke their hearts. He was their dearest friend, a
brother to them all. Incredible grief clutched their hearts as they
watched sorrow tear his soul into millions of pieces. And there was
nothing they could do to stop his pain. They also knew that another soul
would be as equally torn once this news arrived at her door.
It may have only been half an hour, or an hour, but he felt as if he had
cried for a millenium. Slowly the tears ceased their onslaught and
retreated back into his soul. He stood up and let his dark gaze fall upon
Pluto and Marcasite. They flinched under his glare. Without a word, he
turned and went out of the room. Once outside, he could hear Pluto cry
in terrible wracking sobs and Marcasite trying to sooth her.
He knew that it was up to him to tell Serena. But he could not face her
tonight. He did not trust his strength yet. He could hardly control the
tears that were fighting its way back up again. He did not walk back to
the dining room. Instead he went straight for his room. He slammed the
door shut convinced that the entire palace could hear the incredible sound
it created upon impact. He didn't care. He didn't care about anything or
anyone, except Serena. He slammed himself onto his bed and let all his
pain out in an uncontrollable stream of stinging hot tears.
"Why?" he asked himself?the room?the roses in the garden?the heaven above.
"Why did this have to happen to her and me? I want nothing more than to
love her! I would gladly give up my crown?my very life for her?if only
she could stay with me, never to leave me. God! I don't want to lose her,
not when I have just found her. I can't bare the thought of living
without the sight of her. Oh, Serena! My lovely Serena, how can this happen
to us? What can I do? I wish someone could tell me what to do?"
He felt his heart breaking in his chest to be washed away by his tears.
His entire being hurt as every muscle in his body cried for her. The
pain of love was much more painful than any physical pain he had ever
encountered. It sliced through him like a raging sword, slashing at his
heart into his very soul. He clenched his fist trying desperately to stop
its onslaught but he could not. His body bleeds with sorrow and his eyes
rained with tears.
"I love you my dear sweet Serena," he whispered as sleep began to ease
his pain. Its soft soothing caresses on his eyelids ceased the tears.
Its warmth spread through his body stopping the aching pain in his heart.
He closed his eyes welcoming the freedom that sleep offered him. As he
felt himself led away into dreamland, he whispered again, "I love
you?Serena." The pale moonlight floated softly into his room. Its warm
caressing light revealed that a single lonely tear had somehow managed to
escape him and drifted down his face to be lost in the soft silk pillow
below.
===========================
<> She thought. She had waited in the dining
room all night for him to return, but he never did. They also noticed
that Pluto and Marcasite did not return either. <> She gave a tired sigh as
she reached her room. Looking a little down the hallway, she could see
his closed door. She felt tempted to go and knock to see if he was all
right, but she refrained from doing so. <> Instead she went into
her room and closed her door quietly behind her.
[dream]
"She will appear only when the crystal rose blooms," a disembodied voice
whispered to her through the darkness. "Incredible powers?she will destroy
the Dark Empress and her army. She will lift the curse from the Moon and
restore our world?Messiah of Light?awaken!"
A small point of light appeared before her eyes slowly growing larger
until it blinded her with pure energy. She raised her hand to shield her
eyes from the light. When she looked back she gasped in amazement. A
beautiful sparkling crystal floated within arms reach before her. A
strange light emanates from its center. She squinted her eyes to get a
clearer view of this magnificent gem. She could barely make out its
shape?it was?she gasped in shock?it was a rose bud?a crystal rose bud!
"Can it be true?" she asked herself, "Can the legend really be true? But
it can't?its?its only a fairytale, right?"
"Messiah," the voice called again, "Messiah?the time has come."
"Who are you?" Serena asked the darkness shielding this stranger.
"Who are you calling Messiah? Who is she?"
"The time has come, Messiah of Light, the time for your awakening."
Frustrated, Serena cried, "Who the *hell* are you? Who is this Messiah?"
"Messiah of Light," the voice called again, its tone now full of distress,
"you must awaken before it is too late. You must heal the wound that
the Dark Empress has created in this world. Hurry Messiah?you must hurry!
With each passing moment, the darkness grows more powerful! You must
awaken now, Messiah?awaken?awaken?"
"Who is the Messiah?" Serena screamed angry with the stranger who refused
to answer her question. Silence. She waited for the response, but she
could only hear silence. For some strange reason, she felt that she
had to figure out who the person behind this name was, and she had to
find her tonight. "Please," she pleaded, tears streaming down her
face, "please tell me who is the Messiah?"
Silence?.silence?then the voice whispered to her like the soft sound of a
light breeze?"You are?Princess Serenity."
[end dream]
She jerked up in bed gasping desperately for air. The soft voice still
echoing in her ears, "You are?Princess Serenity." <>
Suddenly she heard a light knock at her door. "Who is it?" she called out.
A deep rich voice drifted into her room through the wooden frame, "It's me,
Darien. Serena are you all right. Can I come in?" His voice was full
of distress.
"Yes?yes come in," she replied. He opened the door slowly and stuck his
head in to look at her. His expressions were full of concern and sadness.
"Are you all right?" he asked again, gentler this time.
"Yes of course, why do you ask?"
"Well, I was walking by your door and I heard you scream something. I
thought that something had happened to you."
<>
"I must have been talking in my sleep," she said.
"More like screaming in your sleep," he whispered humorously. He went
over to her and sat by the table near her bed. The faint moonlight fell
on his sad face like a silk curtain. Under the pale light he looked very
tired and so sad.
"Is something wrong, Darien? Would you like to tell me about it? It might
help you know." She smiled warmly at him.
He looked at her for a moment, taking in her beauty, her light.
<>
He turned his gaze to look out the window. The faint breeze flowing
through the open frame played with his dark locks in front of his eyes.
"I have to tell you something Serena," he said quietly, his voice full of
pain and grief.
"Of course," Serena said, "you can tell me anything."
"Before I do though, I want you to know that all I said this morning was
true. You believe me don't you? You know that I love you. I love you so
much that it hurts me to have to tell you this."
"I believe you," she said softly. "I know you love me."
"I meant everything I said, about you staying here with me?about my world
never turning away from you?I meant it all with my heart and soul."
"I know you did. Darien, please what are you trying to tell me?"
He hesitated for a moment, then said sadly, "I have been told that
you?you can't stay in this world."
His words sliced through her like one of the sabers from the shadow
warriors. "W-what do you mean?" she said. She can feel tears rising
into her eyes.
"Pluto told me that once your mission is complete, you will be instantly
returned to your world. The Laws of Time forbids inter-dimensional
migrations." He could feel his soul dying as he spoke. His heart was
screaming in his mind to stop?that there must be a way?there has to be a
way to let her stay.
"The Laws of Time?" she whispered weakly.
"I'm sorry Serena," he cried as tears escaped his eyes. "I can't do
anything to stop it. Even Pluto can't change the Law."
"Y-you?lied to me?" she asked quietly.
"No! Serena I meant everything I said! I *do* love you!"
"You said that I can stay here. That your world would never turn away
from me?that you would never turn away from me?and now you say that it
is because of this Law?"
"I'm not turning away from you," Darien cried taking a step toward her.
"Please Serena! You must understand that there is nothing I can do. If
there were I would do it. I would give my very life if that would change
the Law."
"No Darien," she cried, "it is not the Law. You just don't want me around,
isn't it? And this is some lame excuse that you made up so that I could
forgive you, isn't it? How could you Darien? How could you lie to me? I
believed you. I?I?Get out Darien!"
"Serena please!" he begged her, "Please understand."
"No!" she screamed. "I should have known that a mighty Prince could
never love a poor orphan girl. I should have known. How could you use
me like that? You pretended to love me so that you could gain my trust
and help is that it? Well, I'll tell you what! I will stay and fulfill
this?this *damn* mission. Don't you worry your little head about it!
I'll stay. But I don't ever want to see you again! And when I'm done,
I'll be glad to return to my world. Now get out!"
"Serena please!"
"Just get out Prince Endymion!" she screamed as tears of sorrow stream
down her face.
He winced when she called him his royal name. He stood up and slumped
out of her room, closing the door softly behind him. Once outside he
could hear her begin to cry in heartbreaking sobs that tore at his soul.
Every tear she shed was a knife piercing his heart. He leaned heavily
against her door and slid down to the floor burying his head in his hands.
"I'm sorry Serena," he whispered between the tears that flooded him.
"I don't want to hurt you. I can never hurt you. If there were any
way to stop you from returning, from leaving me I would do it without a
thought. Please Serena?please understand that I love you?I love you
more than you will ever know."
A shadow a little ways down the hall stood watching them in silence.
She heard their angry shouts and Serena's accusations. She heard their
hearts break and their souls cry out in grief. She witnessed it all.
But no one could hear her soul cry?no one but her. She saw him slump
down outside Serena's door crying until the very hall was flooded with
his tears. She could hear Serena from within the room drown the night
with her own grievances. And this was all her fault. Yes, she blamed
herself for breaking these two pure hearts; although she knew that she
had no real choice in the matter. Sadly, she turned and walked away.
Tears flooded her eyes but she refused to shed them. There have been too
many tears tonight.
=============================
It has been two days and still Serena refused to speak to him. He never
saw her much, only glimpses of gold here and there because she had been
avoiding him. His heart ached to see her so angry with him?to see her
hate him.
Dinnertime was the worse time for them, although it was the time he
yearned for everyday because it was the only time he could see her.
The others would notice him sitting staring absentmindedly at her down
on the other end of the table. His eyes would look so sad and alone.
So much pain and longing were revealed in those dark mysterious azure
eyes that some of his friends refused to look at him because it would
only pain them to see him so dejected. The others sitting by Serena
would notice the same thing. Whenever Darien was not looking at her
she would glance at him with the same expression. They wish that there
were a way they could help them, but they knew they could not. By now,
they all know about the sad situation between these two, Pluto had told
them the night after she told Darien. They could tell that this pained
Pluto, too. She blamed herself for everything, although they tried to
comfort her by telling her that it wasn't her fault, she still would not
accept it.
After dinner they all left quietly. Serena stood up without a word and
went out into the garden. She has been hanging around the place for the
past two days. The sweet smell of the flowers relaxed her, but most of
all it reminded her of him. Unbeknownst to him was that she had forgiven
him the very day after their argument, but his words caused doubts in her
mind of what he truly feels for her. She still doesn't believe the 'Laws
of Time' stuff. How could a 'Law', a simple rule set down by some unknown
stranger be so powerful that they could not stop it, unless they don't
want to stop it? Perhaps it is her own self-pity of being an orphan that
made her doubt him even more. She doesn't know. She was so confused at
the multitudes of emotions flooding her.
She wanted to run to him and tell him that she was sorry?sorry for all
the things she said but never meant. She wanted to feel his warmth flow
into her body healing her torn soul. She wanted to taste his sweet lips
and hear him whisper that he loved her?to heal her broken heart.
She wanted?she yearned?she needed him so much, more than the very air she
breathed. But she was afraid?afraid that he might not love her anymore.
In pure honesty, she was afraid that they would love each other
*even more* to only have their hearts broken when she must leave him.
Maybe that was the sole reason she has been avoiding him all this time.
It was not because she doubted his love as she tried to convince herself
was the reason; it was not that she feared he would turn away from her
because deep down she knew that he never had. No, none of the reasons
she thought were the right ones. In fact it was the one she denied that
was the true reason torturing her. She did not want him to suffer when
she leaves. If she return to him now she knew that he would love her
even more to only have his heart ripped out of his chest when they must
separate. It was more for him that she avoided him. She wanted him to
forget her so that her departure would be easier on him; although she
knew that she could never forget him?that her soul and heart would
immediately die when she would lose him. And it was this pain that she
wanted to spare him from suffering, as she knew she would suffer. Yes,
that was the reason. That was the hidden truth of her actions.
Suddenly, a gentle hand was placed on her shoulders awakening her from
her thoughts. Her body stiffened as she turned around to gaze into
beautiful dark crimson eyes. She smiled sadly as she recognized the
older girl.
"Sailor Pluto, what a pleasant surprise," she said with a smile.
Pluto did not reply but only looked at her with sadness weighing heavily
on her face. She let her hand dropped to her side and bent down to look
at the white roses below. Several long strands of her dark forest green
hair fell over her face covering the tears that were threatening to spill
from her eyes.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I know that my apology will not help you any,
but that is all I can give...and all I can do."
Serena looked at her sadly. She had heard that this soldier was the
Guardian of Time. The others told her that she blamed herself for the
Laws, even though she had no hand in its creation. She placed a
reassuring hand on the taller girl's shoulder and whispered comfortingly,
"Please, there is nothing for you to apologize for," she said.
Pluto looked up at her in surprise. She had expected an outburst
much like Darien's but this sweet gentleness was something she did not
expect at all.
Serena smiled at her warmly, "Do not blame yourself for this, dear Pluto.
It is not your fault at all." Serena took her hand away and turned to
gaze down at the flowers as she whispered, "There are just some things
that we cannot stop or change, and we shouldn't blame ourselves for
something that we have no control over."
"Please don't be mad at Darien," Pluto whispered her eyes still locked
on Serena's face. "He loves you. He truly cares for you with all his
heart and soul. He had never loved anyone the way he loves you. Please,
do not hate him for what is not his doing."
"Then the Laws of Time are real?" Serena asked although it sounded more
like a statement.
"As real as you and me, I'm afraid."
<> But then she never really
doubted him. She now knew the true reason that tortured her, and it was
not because of his words.
"Please, don't hate him," Pluto whispered again. "It pains me to see
both of you so distant."
Serena gave a sad laughter and said, "Then it will pain you more when I
leave."
"I-I don't mean--"
"I understand?and no I do not hate him."
"You don't?"
"No."
"Then why have you been avoiding him? He needs you Serena. His soul
dies with every moment without you."
"Because I want him to forget me. I want to spare him further grievances
I know he will suffer when I depart. Please understand Pluto, I have
forgiven him for everything long ago, but I do not want to break his
heart again when I step through that space portal later on."
<>
===========================
He remained in his seat long after everyone had left the dining room.
He stared vacantly at the space she once occupied at the other end of the
table. His mind was numb with intense grief and his heart had all but
died. He felt like a lost soul wandering this world without a reason
and without a purpose. He had lost the only thing that he held dear to
his heart, his love. It was so soon, too soon. They didn't even have
much time to spend together to revel in each other's love. He found her
only to lose her with a sigh.
He didn't know how long he sat there, but he really didn't care. Time
was meaningless to him now. It only brought closer the day when she will
leave him?when he will lose her. Without warning, a bright flash of light
snapped his mind back into the world of reality again. He looked up across
the table to see Elios standing before him with an expression of dire
distress on his young face.
"Prince Endymion!" Elios cried out with agony. "You must come to
Elysion quickly!" Then the image disappeared. Darien frowned with deep
concern. He had never seen Elios look so troubled before.
<>
He quickly stood up and headed for the old brick wall, gateway to the
guardian Kingdom of Elysion.
He walked briskly through the Rose Blanche Garden, his mind was too
preoccupied by the urgency in Elios' voice that he did not see Serena
standing with Pluto nearby. Nonetheless, she did notice him. She saw
his tall dark form walk quickly by them on the other side of the garden.
She saw his worried blue eyes and his deep frown. <> She quickly excused
herself and followed him. She found him standing in front of a
beautiful worn gray brick wall with his hand placed on its vine-strewn
surface. He whispered something inaudible as his hand began to glow in
a strange blue light. Suddenly, to her amazement, the wall disappeared
to reveal a large opening from which another beautiful garden of strange
colorful roses could be seen on the other side. He quickly stepped
through and the opening began to close. She made a mad dash for it
before the entire thing disappeared. She jumped through the shrinking
doorway in the nick of time. When she turned around, the door was gone.
She looked around her in amazement. <> Roses of various colors, as well as other
magnificent and rare flowers enraptured her. Amazingly she saw roses of
purple, orange, and even a magnificent dark blue. Every possible color
could be found in this garden and on its roses, all colors even black.
She wandered around mindlessly, forgetting the reason why she actually
came here. Suddenly two voices floated through the garden on the
invisible wings of the wind toward her ears. She quickly snapped to
attention and followed the sound toward its source. She soon found that
the sound came from within a large ivory colored room on the far side of
the garden. She sneaked toward it until she was standing with her back
against the wall near the opening listening silently to the conversation
within.
"Are you sure?" She heard someone asked. She instantly recognized the
voice as Darien's. He sounded so distressed.
"Yes," someone else replied. <> The person spoke again with a voice that
sounded so light, so young.
"She will attack us at any moment. We must alert the others and prepare
ourselves for a long battle," this stranger continued.
"And the powers of Elysion cannot help us?"
"I'm afraid it won't be of any help," the stranger replied. "Through the
years, the powers of the Dark Empress has increased ten folds. She is now
capable of destroying Elysion with merely a snap of her fingers."
"That powerful?"
Silence.
"What about the Golden Crystal? Can't I use it to defeat her?"
Silence. In her mind she saw the stranger shake his head because she
then heard him answer, "No, the Golden Crystal is now very weak. It has
been drained most of its energy through the years of constant use. For
the last seven years, its powers have been diverted to support that of
Elysion in defending the Earth Kingdom. So now it is very weak. It
will be of no match against the dark powers."
"Are you saying that there is nothing we can do to stop her?"
"I'm afraid so. Her powers are too great. Defeating her would be a
miracle."
"So what are we going to do? We can't just simply stand here and let her
destroy us! Yet, if we fight she will kill us all anyway. Are you sure,
Elios? Are you sure that there is nothing we can do? Nothing I can do?"
"There is nothing," this stranger whom Darien called Elios replied.
She heard a loud bang as Darien slammed his fist on the crystal table in
frustration. Then silence covered them. "There *is* one thing I
*can* do," she barely heard him whisper.
"What?"
"I can send Serena back to her world. If there is no hope in defeating
the Dark Empress, then there is no reason for her to stay here only to
get herself killed. Perhaps, I should thank the Laws of Time," he said.
"At least because of it, she will live."
Tears drifted down her face as she listened to his sad voice floating
toward her. <>
She heard him give a sad and hopeless sigh as he turned and began to
walk out of the room. She quickly dove into a rose bush nearby.
Expecting to feel the stinging pain of the thorns, she did not feel
anything but the smooth soft petals and stems. She looked at a stem in
front of her face and saw with surprise that these roses have no thorns
on them, but her surprise was cut short when she saw him step out of the
room. His eyes were dark with grief and hopelessness. Fortunately he
did not see her as he quickly walked down the garden and through the wall.
She gave a soft sigh of relief because she was unsure of what she would
do or of what he would think of her if he caught her spying on him like
this. Unfortunately, someone else caught her. A gentle voice whispered
to her from behind, "You can come out now."
In surprise, she shot out of the rose bush and turned around to see a
young man with shoulder length white hair and a golden horn gazing at her
tenderly. He was young. She guessed him to be about only thirteen.
Yet he was taller than she was. "H-how did you know I was hiding
in there?" she asked her cheeks flushed crimson with embarrassment.
"Well, I'd say gold would stand out among dark blue roses," he said
with a gentle smile.
<>
"You must be Serena," he said with a slight bow, "It is a pleasure to
finally be able to meet you. I am Elios, Priest of Elysion."
"The pleasure is all mine," she said returning his bow. "Please tell
me, what is Elysion and is it this place here?"
"Yes," he replied as he strolled away from her. She took his action as
an invitation to follow him. They strolled peacefully in the garden,
which was incredibly large. In the far distance, she could make out
the faint form of a magnificent gold castle towering over the lush green
land.
"Elysion is the guardian kingdom of Earth," he was saying.
"Its powers are what protects Earth from invasion. However, I'm afraid
even the great power of Elysion and the Golden Crystal will not be
strong enough to defend this world from the Dark Empress, but then you
have heard that already."
She looked at him in surprise. "Y-you knew I was listening out
there, too?" He nodded.
"Then why didn't you say something?"
"Because I know you didn't want Darien to see you," he replied.
She looked down at the marble path in sadness when she heard him
mentioned Darien's name. He noticed her expression and said,
"You love him don't you?"
"Yes," she whispered gloomily. "I thought everyone knew."
"Hmm?I don't get much gossips in this place," he replied lightly.
"Is there no way to protect this world?" she asked.
"Not unless the Messiah of Light awakens," he replied. She looked up at
him in shock.
"Are you saying that she is real?"
"I'm not saying that she is or that she is not, but she is the only one
who can save us."
Serena looked down at the path again, her mind deep in thought as she
recalled her dreams. Since the first night she slept in this place two
dreams have constantly invaded her sleep. She recalled that the one of
them, the first dream, showed her of a young girl screaming for her
parents to not make her leave. Somehow the dream was so vivid that
she could actually sense the fear in the atmosphere around them. More
importantly was the fact that the faces of this young girl's parents
seemed so familiar to her. It triggered something deep within her mind
of hidden memories that were desperately trying to break free. The
second dream was so strange. All she could see was the crystal bud of a
rose and hear a strange voice calling to her in the darkness. It was
the last thing that the voice said that truly confused her, ""You
are?Princess Serenity." Why did that voice call her Princess Serenity?
Is her dream right? Is she a Princess? <>
And then it suddenly struck her, the connection between the two dreams.
The mother of that young girl also called her Princess Serenity.
<>
"Are you all right, Serena?" Elios asked looking at her solemn face
in concern.
"What?" she said in surprised as she snapped out of her thought,
"Oh, yes I-I'm fine. Just thinking that is all." She turned her gaze
to him and asked, "Please tell me, why are there so many different and
strange colors in the roses of this garden."
"This garden is known as the Garden of Passion," he replied. "Each
color found on these roses are reflections of the emotions deep within
the human soul. As you can see, red represents the purest form of
love, royal-blue is for intuition, azure or sky blue is for joy,
green there is for honesty, purple for bravery, pink for happiness,
and many more."
"Then why do you have a black rose?" she asked pointing to a single black
flower growing slightly apart from the others. "Your garden is so
beautiful, why do you allow the color of hatred to grow in it? It seems to
ruin the loveliness of everything else."
"Hatred is an emotion just like joy or sorrow. It does not ruin what is
in the garden, but enhances what is already there. Some believed that
hatred represents the emotion of evil, but others disagree."
"What do you think it represents?"
"Hatred can be evil if the person who holds it wants it to be, or it can
be goodness if one so wish."
"But doesn't hatred usually lead to evil?" she asked him curiously.
"It depends on the person who holds this emotion," he replied.
"Hatred is only a strong force that your soul feels, much like love or
happiness. In itself, it holds no evil nor does it lead one to
become evil. Much like your skill in fighting. If you use it to
protect those you love then your skill would be moral, but if you use
it against others then it would be immoral. Many evil beings do not
feel hatred toward their opponents; instead they only feel the desire of
greed for power. I would say greed is the most evil emotion not hatred.
Usually the ones who are most sensitive end up feeling the emotion of
hatred. Perhaps hatred is only the counter balance of purity,
represented by the color white near it." He pointed to a single white
rose growing beside the black one.
"I'd say hatred, much like purity or serenity, is the ultimate
emotion where everything from joy, fear, and love jumble together to
form an indistinguishable cloud of emotion. While in purity, these
emotions are distinct and in harmony with each other, in hatred it is
inseparable with neither a border of where one ends and another begins.
You can say it is the emotion that tests all of us. It is the one force
that reveals to us who we truly are deep within. If we succumb to it
and become evil, then that was what we were all along, but if we surpass
it and become pure than that is who we really are."
Silence fell between them as they continued to stroll down the path.
She thought deeply of the things he said, of how each color represented
an emotion within the human soul. <> Suddenly a beautiful beige colored rose appeared before her,
slightly blocking her path. She bent down and caressed its silky petals
with her fingers. "This one has the same color as my gown, " she
commented with amusement. "And what does this rose represent?"
He didn't respond immediately as if he has forgotten what emotion this
color symbolizes. Then he spoke softly, "Beige is the color of
loneliness."
She looked up at him. Her cerulean eyes sparkled in the bright sun.
She did not move. A strange shadow fell over her eyes and she looked
away. His words rang like church bells, clear and true, sending the
truth of its meaning directly into her heart. She did not respond to his
comment, but stood up and brushed past the delicate flower heading back
toward the gray brick wall. He followed her in silence. As they reached
the gray brick wall she spoke in a lost tone, "I think I'd better get back.
The others may wonder where I am."
He nodded and waved his hand opening the gateway for her. She thanked
him and stepped through. He stood looking at the wall for a moment then
turned around and headed for the Court of Prayers. As he went through
the archway he stepped back in surprise. A flash of intense light
engulfed him and he raised his hand in an attempt to shield his eyes.
Suddenly the light died down and he turned to look. His gray-blue eyes
widened in surprise as he gazed at the crystal still floating on the
marble column. It had just transformed from a solid gem into the shape
of a beautiful clear bud of a rose.
The empty room of the Court of Prayers echoed his astonished words,
"The legend is true?"
=============================================
[Any knew characters that does not belong to Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha/Toei,
or DiC, belongs to me. So please don't take them.
Final chapter coming soon!]